Orioles 1989 Why Not seasonThough the taste of game two of the doubleheader is still in my mouth, the Baltimore Orioles crossed a crucial milestone on Monday by surpassing the win total reached by the 1989 “Why Not” team.

A poster who goes by Frobby on the Orioles Hangout message board broke down the ’89 season for those who don’t remember (or who were just a year old) and drew some stunning comparisons to this 2012 squad.

The starting staff was anchored by Bob Milacki, who threw 243 innings while going 14-2 with a 3.74 ERA, and Jeff Ballard who went 18-8 with a 3.43 ERA in 211 innings. Gregg Olson saved 27 games while posting a 1.69 ERA, while rubber armed Mark Williamson threw 107 innings in relief to an ERA of 2.93.

Frank Robinson won Manager of the Year honors for guiding his team to a 33-win improvement over the prior season.

It was probably the most improbable season in Orioles’ history, until now. It remains to be seen whether 2012 will be considered even more improbable. I think we’ll have to await the final outcome of the season to judge that one, but in any event, the 2012 team now has one more “W” than in 1989.

Of course, the ’89 Orioles did end up falling just short of the postseason, let’s hope the 2012 version can continue their winning ways through October.